Process for the direct production of artificial silk in wound form suitable for the textile industry



BORZYKOWSKI PROCESS FOR THE DIRECT PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL SILK IN Dec. '2', 193 7.

WOUND FORM SUITABLE FOR THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY Original Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l A [H ll WV 650mm (5 0 02 2 13 m wbfii attorneys 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l=- 7, 1937. B; BORZYKOWSKI PROC SS FOR THE DIRECT PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL SILK IN WOUND FORM SUITABLE FOR THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY Original Filed March 28; 1929 dtmwu III/[III],

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATE -Eienno Borzykowski, Paris, France, assignor to Borvisk Syndicate Ltd, London, England Application March 28, 1929, Serial No. 350,706

Renewed November 1,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the direct, that is, continuous, production of raw or purified twisted or untwisted artificial silk in plant and wound form necessary 5 for the textile industry, with elimination of the otherwise customary reeling, skeining and re winding, and the subsequent treatment of the yarn in the strand.

As is known, artificial silk'is at present pro duced by two methods, that is, according to the so-called bobbin spinning method and according to the spinning can spinning method. In the bobbin spinning method the coagulated artificial silk filaments lie parallel to each other on the spool and are for the most part twisted on a special twisting machine after being washed and dried. In artificial silk plants the filaments wound on the spinning spool are thereafter freed from adhering quantities of the liquor of the precipitating bath by washing the silk on the spools, by spraying or by leaching in water tanks. The enormous amount of time, space, apparatus, spools, washing water, etc., necessary for these operative methods, the damage to the material involved and the lack of uniformity in the final product produced thereby, can be appreciated only by studying artificial silk manufactories which, with the above methods, still require several days for the washing.

After washing the artificial silk on the spinning spools it must be uniformly and completely dried. Thereb however, the upper layers particularly of the artificial silk wound on the spinning spools (i. e. the outer layers of the large masses of silk) are over-dried and become brittle and the spools must under some conditions be stored n so-called moistening rooms for several s ling to the amount of yarn wound and the type of filament, for the silk to become suffi- 40 or tly pliant for the further treatment, particulc. ly the twisting. This also requires enormous space, material, labor, etc., and occasions damage to the fine capillary filaments on the spools through the handling of the very numerous spools, which also leads to great waste, difficulties twisting and lower grade silk.

Subsequent treatment, that is, the twisting, folthe mcistening. As is known, the twist i .achines used at present in the artificial silk istry are constructed so that the twisting coil eel can be stuck on the spindle, which rotates he necessary speed to give the filaments the required twist and the twisted filament is wound on a hollow cylinder (twisting spool or reel) of 1935, In Germany May ing reel is then subjected to steam in a moistening chamber to set the twist, then prepared in known manner into strand form on reeling machines. Each strand must be skeined (tied up in hanks) several times so as to undergo the subsequent treatment according to hitherto used methods, namely, desulfurizing, bleaching, toning (scrooping) dyeing and sizing, and then dried in the skein.

For many purposes of the textile industry, particularly weaving and hosiery manufacture, artificial silk treated in this customary manner will not do, and therefore the weaver and hosier must immerse the artificial silk skeins in oil, soap solution, or the like, centrifuge them off and again dry them before the winding (reeling) or provide them with these softening agents during the winding. The weaver or hosier must then first place the silk, still in skein form, on such spools or reeling forms as are necessary for his purpose, that is, on flanged bobbins (for warping) (for hosiery, knit goods) or on cops (for insertion in weaving shuttles, etc).

The enormous labor, loss of time and damage to the filaments caused by methods employed hitherto can be realized only on study of even modern large scale artificial silk manufactory and then a winding or cop plant where the yarn must be brought from the skein to the spools. To this vast number of operations in the production and further treatment of the artificial silk filament must beascribed the large quantities of socalled low grades, which must then be sorted in the finished strand, so as to remove those having torn or broken capillary filaments. Although, in almost every modern artificial silk spinnery at least 95-96% of the spinning spools contain perfectly spun artificial silk, it often happens that the silk, when finished and bleached in skein form, gives a yield for example only of 2530% of the first grade. The remainder is classified into four or five lower grades according tothe degree of mechanical damage. However, even with this low yield in the first sorting there is no guarantee that the sorted artificial silk of the first grade (or of any given grade) will reel off smoothly in the subsequent treatment and will not occasion thread breakage, knots and defects in the articles as a result of misplacement (throwing off) of the thread intersecting points (leese) during the numerous subsequent treatments of the skein. All these costly, tedious and injurious operations are eliminated according to the present invention, in the following manner:

As disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 44,079, filed July 16, 1925, my Swiss Patent No. 115,282 and its addition No. 119,877, it is possible to reduce the former, inconvenient and impractical washing lasting for days, to a minimum of time, water consumption and apparatus by introducing the perforated spools wound with artificial silk in a washing apparatus described in said patents and sucking the water through from the outside inwardly. In a further embodiment of the manufacturing process described in said patents it has been shown that the manufacture of artificial silk can be still further simplified, particularly that it is possible to purify the artificial silk filaments in one operative step with the same washing apparatus'if required, so as to provide them with suitable quality for the textile industry, by operating as follows:

After complete washing of the silk on the spools, and removal of the washing water from the washing apparatus described in the above U. S. application and Swiss patents, instead of water, a suitable .desulfurizing liquid, for example sodium sulfite, is introduced in the necessary concentration and at the desired temperature to effect desulfurization (say NazSOs solution of 2% at about 60 C.) and after passage through the layers of filaments returned to a container specially provided therefor, so that it may be strengthened, purified and prepared for re-use.

After desulfurization, washing is done with warm water in the same manner. 'I'hereupon, if necessary, a bleaching liquid, for example, hydrogen peroxide, is sucked through, followed by acidification and neutralization with water. The still moist filaments on the spool and in said washing apparatus are thenand this is a further very important point of thepresent process treated in the previously described manner, with a suitable softening liquid, for example, the solution of a sulforicinoleate, that is, this solution is sucked from the outside inwardly through the layers of filaments and perforated spools and likewise returned to suitable containers for regeneration and re-use. The silk thus preliminarily treated and rendered pliant is then dried in known manner and possesses the'valuable property of being adapted for further (i. e. me-

' chanical) working immediately after the drying,

without the customary moistening, lasting for a whole day (or even several days), of the silk which has become brittle through the drying. All of these operations are performed on the artificial silk while still on the original spinning spools, i. e., without any unwinding or rewinding.

Since the artificial silk wound on the spinning spools is treated upon the latter, according to the present process, and remains thereon until the twisting step, the filaments are not subjected to a mechanical strain and the silk, as previously stated, is made pliable even before drying by means of a suitable softening agent, so that it also possesses the necessary elasticity, in order to withstand contraction on drying and thus the breaking of the capillary filaments, the filaments treated on the spools according to the present process may be twisted almost without residue and without filament breakage, or may be further prepared.

It is to be understood that the present process, in so far as hitherto described, can be carried out with a different apparatus than that here described by way of example. For example the washing and purification of the silk on the perfo are passed from the inside outwardly or alternately inward and outward, through the layers of filaments on the spool. The essential feature of the present invention remains that the purification, and particularly the making pliable of the silk on the spinning spool, is effected before the drying all in practically a single operation and the winding of the finished filaments from the spinning spool on to the winding forms suitable for the textile industry, with the elimination of the reeling, the skeining, subsequent treatment in the strand, centrifuging, repeated drying, etc.

The accompanying drawings show apparatus suitable for use in my process. In said drawings Fig. l is a diagrammatic showing of tension and reeling devices. Fig. 2 is a front view of the bobbin or cop b, and roller a and accessories. Fig. 3 is a cross-wound tapering cop and Fig. 4 is a cross-wound cylindrical cop. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of one form of spinning centrifugal. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of same. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the ring R, described herein, made in two pieces. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a one-piece ring. Figs. 9, l0 and 11 show central vertical sections of a modified form of centrifugal, with their attachments, showing an inner ring M placed inside of the cake of artificial silk, after the spinning step.

The twisting and further working of the artificial silk in accordance with the present process is carried in detail for example as follows:

Instead of placing the perforated spinning spools carrying the preliminarily treated silk, on to the previously mentioned, hitherto commonly used twisting machine, they are placed upon a twisting machine constructed for example in accordance with Figures 1 and 2. The twisted filament (F) running off from the spinning spool (Z) in balloon form is not, as heretofore, carried on to a hollow cylinder but on to a winding apparatus which is so constructed that a spindle (b) which may conveniently be conical, on which a conical pasteboard sleeve (0) is mounted, is driven by a friction roller (a). The filament guide (d) moves forward and backward in Fig ure 1 with the required speed, so that the well known conical cross wound bobbins, as required, for knit goods and knitting, result. In order to give the thread the necessary tension to produce a solid winding, it is passed through a suitable tension device (R).

Instead of a conical spindle use may also be made of a cylindrical spindle on the same machine. I thus obtain direct from the spinning spool (bobbin) in one operative step, in the first case a conical cross wound bobbin, as in Figure 3, and in the latter case a cylindrical cross wound bobbin as in Figure 4. In similar manner it is possible to produce also the cops or disc bobbins, when the winding apparatus is constructed correspondingly. It is possible to produce directly on the twisting machine raw, but pliable and bleached, even dyed, artificial silk in wound form as necessary for the textile industry; while still on the spinning spool or bobbin, in one operation, with the eliminating of all otherwise usual ma nipulations. For example, it is possible to dye,

tone,size, and otherwise treat the articficial silk on the spinning bobbins according to my Swiss Patents 115,282 and 119,877, by sucking through the desired dye bath even before drying the artificial silk on the spinning bobbin,

The present process is of still greater importance for the production of so-called floss silk, that is, untwisted artificial silk filaments, as prepared on a large scale for warp purposes in weaving. Up to the present this artificial silk also has been produced in the previously described manner, that is, the untwisted filaments from the spinning spool are first prepared into strands on the reel, skeined and desulfurized in the strand, then bleached and dyed. If a twisted artificial silk is greatly damaged in these operations silk floss will be damaged to a still greater degree, since the individual capillary filaments lie parallel to each other and are easily injured in the slightest mechanical operation. According to the present process, where the refining (bleaching, etc.) and under all conditions however the rendering pliable, (oiling) is done on the perforated spinning bobbin before the drying, the untwisted floss silk also has the necessary pliability and may be carried directly from the spinning bobbin to weft quills or cops thus greatly protecting the fine loose capillary filaments.

In the spinning can spinning process the heretofore generally used method of operation consists in tipping out the cake of silk, containing acid and salt, from the spinning can on to a carrying board and carrying it into a hot steam chamber in order to prevent the salts from crystallizing out, etc. The thus steamed cake is then, in wet and acid state, reeled into strands on the reeling machine, skeined in wet acid state,

then washed in strand form, stretched on special stretching frames and dried, so that the strand will not contract on drying and lose certain valuable properties. Only after completion of the so-called first drying under tension, are the strands desulfurized in vats, bleached, centrifuged out and again dried. After this second drying the strands must then be expressed and sorted out before they can be brought into a form (cross wound bobbins, disc bobbins or the like) suitable for the textile industry.

moved only with great difiiculty for the said subsequent treatment. Many cakes thereby become useless and have to be discarded as waste, as a result of misplacement of the filament layers and injury to the capillary filaments.

The inconvenience of such a method is obvious and the high production and sale price of spinning can artificial silk as well as the large quantity of damaged strands may be ascribed to this condition.

In accordance with the process of my present invention these defects are also eliminated, the expensive operative method simplified and the material greatly protected. It is possible, however, in this process to construct the spinning can itself and the auxiliary means otherwise than heretofore.

Instead of the usual relatively expensive spin ning cans provided with hard rubber or other acid resistant, smooth polished material, use is made of ordinary, unlined cheap cans, which need not be polished interiorly, which are constructed in accordance with the accompanying drawings. Figure 5 shows a section and Figure 6 a top plan of the special rings and the cake. The can (T) as shown in Figures 5 and 6 comprises ribs ((1) and at two or more points ribs (bb), which are located closely adjacent each other, and which form an intermediate recess (0). A perforated ring (R, Fig. 7) composed of one or more parts is inserted in the spinning can thus formed so that its crimped edge (:1) engages in the corresponding slots (0, Fig. 6). Afted inserting the ring (R, Fig. 7) the centrifuge is set in operation and the cake (K) forms and applies itself in known form against the perforated ring (R). In consideration of the fact that this ring (R) has relatively many and large perforations, it is possible, during the spinning or during formation of the cake, to admit a washing liquid through the funnel (U) carrying the filaments to the spinning centrifuge, which neutralizes the filaments during the formation of the cake and, after passage through the layers of filaments, is centrifuged off through the perforations in R and in T.

However, use may also be made of the hitherto used spinning cans for the present process, but in such case the ring (R', Fig. 8) must be provided at several points with reinforcing ribs (V), so that it will not be pressed against the walls of the spinning can and close off the perforations thereof. Through the centrifugal force the multi-part elastic ring (R, Fig. 7) or the one-part (R, Fig. 8) elastic ring, (R') with its ribs (V, Fig, 8) is forced toward the walls of the rotating can and carried along. The spinning can cover (W, Fig. 5) prevents the ring from being centrifuged out of the rotating spinning can.

In order to prevent the first spun filaments of the cake (K) lying against the ring (R) from being forced into the perforations the ring (R or R), the latter is covered with a porous material, for example, netting (N). After finishing the washed out cake the spinning can is tipped over so that the cake together with the ring (R) slips out on a suitable base or support. Since the ring (R, Fig. 7) consists of a plurality of parts, the latter are easily removed and a washed out, undistorted and otherwise undamaged spun cake is obtained. The ring (R) may also be of one piece, but in such case must be elastic so that it can be expanded for removal from the cake. After washing out the cake (before the removal of the same from the can) a softening liquid, for example, a sulfo-ricinate solution, is introduced into the spinning can upon the cake, which, by reason of the centrifugal force of the rotating can, uniformly distributes the softening liquid in the filament layers.

In order to avoid the displacement of the inner filament layers a resilient sleeve (M, Fig. 6) (but which need not be perforated), the diameter of which is capable of being easily modified, is introduced into the interior of the spinning cake after the treatments with liquid are completed and which, by reason of its spring power lies closely against the inner filament layers of the washed out cake. The latter with the. sleeve is then placed in the drying apparatus. Since sleeve (M) is resilient and of variable diameter its diameter is automatically reduced in the mass of filaments shrinking during the drying, so that the cake is mounted rigidly on the sleeve also when in the dry state. If necessary, for increasing the spring power of the sleeve a suitably adjustable tension device can be inserted in the interior of the sleeve (M).- After drying, the cake, mounted rigidly on the sleeve, can be car-. ried directly to the winding machine and converted into wound form, as necessary for the textile industry, without, as usual, converting the cake into strand form and then only into wound form as suitable for the textile industry by re-winding. The filaments thus produced are suitable in most cases for the production of knitted or woven fabrics or hosiery which; according to my patented process (French Patent No. 616,309, U. S. patent application No. 138,122, filed Sept. 27, 1926) are then provided with either a dull or lustrous surface, inasmuch as this viscose silk has not been subjected to desulfurization, as above described.

If, however, it is desired to produce purified, that is desulfurized, or even dyed, artificial silk in cake form by the spinning can method, into the spinning can containing the cake while still mounted on the rotating spindle of the can spinning machine or on a special table provided with a rotatingspindle, the necessary desulfurizing, bleaching and, if necessary, the dyeing fluids are introduced into the spinning can and forced through the filament layers by centrifugal force. It is desirable, however, in order to prevent misplacement of the inner filament layers in this multiple treatment of the spinning cake, to insert a sleeve similar to M but perforated, instead of the previously described resilient sleeve, the diameter of which is likewise adjustable, before introducing the desulfurizing, bleaching and dyeing fluids. The cake may then be dried onthe thus inserted perforated sleeve as above described and carried directly from the sleeve to the winding machinefor producing the wound form suitable for the textile industry. 'We thus obtain if necessary, in one operative step, if needed, dyed artificial silk in wound form suitable for the textile industry, and avoiding the previously mentioned, usual, tedious and costly manipulations.

The subsequent treatment of the spinning cake in the can may also be carried out in still simpler manner with a saving of space and apparatus. Instead of the above described spinning can with the ring (R), use is made of a double walled spinning can, such as shown in Figure 9, likewise with aring. Only the inner wall of this doublewalled can has perforations (P), and at those points only which are subsequently covered by the filament layers of the cake. The spinning bath centrifuged oif passes through the passage (L) to the outlet near the spindle (S) on which the can is mounted. By the use of the doublewall d spinning can the filaments can be washed even during the spinning, as previously described.

In order to exert no strain'on the spinning machine during the subsequent treatment of the cake in the spinning can, the double-walled spinning can (Fig. 9) is placed in a vacuum washing apparatus, as described in my Swiss PatentNo. 115,282, and mounted on the supporting base (Y) as shown on Figure 10, suitably sealing the pipes (X) which lead to the vacuum passage (Y). In this apparatus the cake, in the same manner as in the previously described treatment of the perforated spinning bobbin, may be washed and also desulfurized, bleached and, if necessary, dyed and made pliable under vacuum, the treating fluid being admitted, drawn .off and recovered as previously described for the bobbin treatment and by using the perforated sleeve, M for the treatment and drying of the cake as described hereinabove. According to this method I obtain a purified artificial filament in cake. form which, as previously described may be converted into wound or skein form directly suitable for use in the textile industry. Such skeins, because the filaments have been already preliminarily treated in the spinning can, and even bleached or dyed, need not be further treated in strand form, whereby the artificial silk is produced easily and without waste or misplaced leese or other damage resulting from treatment in skein form.

It is obvious that the spinning cake, as long as it is still in the spinning can, no matter by which of the methods set forth in this application it is produced, can also be treated with subsequent treatment fluids other than those herein described by the same or other methods, Without modifying the essence of the invention. For example, the spinning cake need not be treated at all during the spinning or may be treated only partially with washing or other treatment fluids during the spinning with the use of the ring (R) but the cake in the spinning can, after removal of the latter from the spinning machine and insertion of the perforated sleeve (M) may be treated at the interior of the cake in such way that, in-v stead -f the usual spinning can cover with a large opening through which the spinning funnel is inserted into the spinning can, use may be made of a cover constructed according to Figure 11. The cover (I) closes the can tightly and has suitably formed connections (II) through which the washing, and thereafter the subsequent treatment fluids are introduced into the can. The washing and subsequent treatment liquids are passed with the necessary drop into the can through the connections (II) on cover (I) and pass through the perforated sleeve (M) to the cake, through the perforated ring (R) and traverse the openings of the spinning can to the exterior. The treatment liquids are collected for further use and, as prev ously described, finally prepared for regeneratlon and re-use. After washing and subsequent treatment the cover is removed and the cake with the sleeve (M) and ring (R) tipped out together. The ring (R) is removed and the cake is dried on the flexible sleeve (M) and further treated as described above.

In the foregoing exemplary embodiments for the direct production of pliable artificial silk in Wound form as required in the textile industry the production of viscose filaments or the desulfurization is discussed only because up to the present time, chiefly, this type of artificial silk has been manufactured. It is obvious that the present process relates to the production of pliable and, if necessary, of purified artificial silk with the elimination of the otherwise customary conversion and subsequent treatment in strand or skein form, for all other types of artificial silk and other artificial structures. There is, for example, no obstacle to converting artificial structures produced by the nitrocellulose, acetyl cellulose, cupramznonium cellulose and like process, into wound form suitable for the textile industry, in a single operation if the process herein described for the production of viscose artificial silk is appropriately used. for other methods of production, by selecting a material for the apparatus, according to the kind of treatment fiuids to be used, which is not attacked by said fluids. For example, artificial nitrocellulose films may be produced, according to the dry or wet spinning method on perforated spools or, as previously described, in spinning cans, if the spools or spinning cans are made, for example, of hard rubber and the washing, denitration, bleaching, rendering pliant, etc., carried out in known way, after winding the filaments on the spinning bobbins or preduction of the spinning cake. Also, the decopperizing, bleaching, etc., of cuprammonium; cellulose or superficial saponification, bleaching, etc., of cellulose acetate filaments can be carried out for example on perforated hard rubber bobbins and in hard rubber spinning cans and, according to the present process the artificial filaments can be purified on the perforated spinning bobbin or in the spinning can and produced in wound form suitable for the textile industry in one operative step, as described.

In the appended claims, the expression artificial silk While still in its initial winding is used to designate the silk (or filaments or fibers) while on the initial spool or bobbin on which it was first wound, from the setting bath or other device in which the thread was formed, and also the cake removed as above described from the spinning can, or while still in the spinning can, winch cake can be considered as a wound mass while still in its initial winding carried on the sleeve M.

The expression subjecting the artificial silk to other liquid treatment is intended to include such treatments as desulfurization, bleaching, dyeing, oiling, soaping, scrooping, etc., which are, under the present invention (or some of them are) carried out while the silk is still on the original bobbin, or while in the spinning can. The removal of the cake from the spinning while in the perforated ring R, and the sub sequent removal of this ring R, and also the insertion of the resilient ring M into the hollow core of the cake, are not to be considered as mechanical working of the silk because the ring M is resilient and the ring R is either resilient or is made of two parts. The ring M can accordingly be applied and removed without any disturbance of the fiber constituting the internal face of the hollow cake, and the ring R can likewise be removed without any disturbance of the fiber on the periphery of the cake.

When however, as in the old method, the cake presses directly on the internal surface of the can, the dumping out of this cake disarranges the fiber on the external face of the cake and such disturbance may extend for a substantial distance into the cake. The dumping out of the cake would accordingly constitute a mechanical working, usually giving many breaks in the fiber.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of artificial silk and like formations by the spinning can method, subjecting the cake to fluid treatment in the can while having its inner layers protected against damage and subsequently drying the cake while having its inner layers similarly protected.

2. the manufacture of artificial silk and like formations by the spinning can method, subjectin the spun cake to fluid treatment in the vessel into which it is spun, removing the cake from said vessel and thereafter, without any intermediate winding or skeining, winding same into the form suitable for the textile industry, the cake having its inner layers protected against in the fluid treatment and winding and also having its outer layers protected against damage in the removal from said vessel.

The method of manufacture of artificial silk and like formations by the spinning can method, which includes the removal of the precipitating bath residues, passing treatment liquids through the spun cake, while in the vessel into which it is spun, protecting the inner layers of the filaments of said cake against displacement and damage during the fluid treatment by a resilient perforated sleeve within it, and subsequently drying the cake while on said sleeve.

4. The method of manufacture of artificial silk and like formations by the spinning can method, which includes the removal of the precipitating bath residues, passing treatment liquids through the spun cake, while in the vessel into which it is spun, protecting the inner layers of the filaments of said cake against displacement and damage during the fluid treatment by a resilient perforated sleeve within it, removing the cake from said vessel together with the resilient perforated sleeve within said cake, drying the cake, while on said sleeve and thereafter,-without any intermediate skeining or windingwinding same into the form suitable for the textile industry.

BENNO BORZYKOWSKI. 

